Reality Hurts
by Lusewing
Summary: Join Karan as she is forced to become a trainer and travel Kanto while exploring the darker reality of what a real Pokemon world would be like. One thing is for certain, Reality hurts.
1. Chapter 1

Pokemon. It is a word that describes most of my childhood. From the first day I got to play for a few hours on the red game my brother had borrowed from school I fell in love and when I got my own red game I knew that it was going to last a long time. Now look at me, I'm 25 and still in love with the games however now that I am older I am able to look at the stories and the rules of the games in a completely new light and I can tell you now that there is no way that the Pokemon world can be all love, friendship and fluff clouds and still work. So I hope you can join me in exploring the darker side of the games.

* * *

My first really clear memory was my Granddad closing the door as I was lead away. Not exactly the most pleasant of memories but they do say that it is harder to forget the bad ones. I can't say at the time I hated the man, he had after all looked after me since I was three, I loved him even at that moment and still do. I think I was angry more then anything. Angry that he was doing nothing to stop the four people in suits who smelled of leather and smoke from putting me in to the mini bus. I know now that he closed the door to stop himself from snatching me back or sending out his Arbok to strike down the officials. Even so, at the time, it felt like he was abandoning me.

**"You must be excited to be given a chance like this Karan" **Smiled the one woman of the four adults. Fluffy blue hair with perfect make-up gave her a soft, clean look and her voice was friendly and encouraging but the firm grip on my ten year old hand let me know that she was no friend. I looked up at her but said nothing, I could already feel the sting of tears and I did not want to cry in front of these people.

**"After all each quarter only three children in all of Kanto get to become Pokemon Trainers with one of Professor Oak's special Pokemon. Your Grandfather must be very proud of you" **I looked down and nodded slowly hoping that my brown hair was long enough to hid my welling tears.

It is a cruel thing to do to a little girl. To take them away from everything they know just because their grades are not high enough and they can't afford to be sent to a decent secondary school. The Government calls it 'The second chance program' and say that it is a way for impoverished children to 'rise up above their humble beginnings', to try and become something great and a valued part of our region. From someone who has experienced the 'program' first hand I can tell you that it is a load of bollocks and is nothing more then a way for the Government to save money on more schools or benefits. After all why spend money on improving and helping people when you can just sweep them under the carpet. They may as well just toss us to the Gyarados and be done with it, at least that would have been quick and humane.

I was sat down near the back of the small bus next to the window. From what I remember the sun was shining that morning, a few birds flew over head and it looked set to be a lovely day but all I could look at was my Granddad's dingy little flat as it got smaller and smaller till I could not pick it out amongst the rest of the doors and windows. I made a promise to myself that day. That no matter how many battles I had to go threw I would get back to this street. I would run all the way from the market to the front door and when I saw my Granddad I would hug him so tight that no one would every take me away from him again. It was the first of many promises that I would make my self.

I had slept a little on the drive, mainly because I was not used to being in one of the motor cars and it was making me feel a little sick. Part of me had wanted to throw up on one of the men in suits just to get a reaction out of them or maybe for some payback but these was strangers and at ten I was still not confident enough to confront them even in that manner. The woman, who had told me to call her Miss Yunly, was friendly enough and kept trying to get me excited about what was to come but in all honesty it was not just the bus that was making me feel sick.

Lets get facts strait. Pokemon Trainers are fantastic. They are idolised by most and respected by everyone. They keep the routes safe, provide valuable Pokemon to everyday people and encourage trade and growth in all the towns and cities. Pokemon Trainers are the life blood of any Region and as a younger child I had dreamed to to become a trainer, to battle the monsters and tame them to fight for me. To roam the whole region and beyond, belonging to no one but myself and my team. Soon though I had realised that the dreams of a child rarely reflect reality and even at ten years old I knew the truth about Pokemon Trainers and the hardships they have to go threw. Training Pokemon was no Celebi tail. Most trainers don't last more then two years before they have to give up on the lifestyle and find a safer job though many more don't last long enough to make that switch. Pokemon Training was undertaken by the reckless and adventurous. Those that thought they had something to prove or maybe had no where left to turn. It wasn't the sort of lifestyle for a child of ten.

Over the coarse of the day we picked up two other kids, both boys. Jiro, who had seemed just are scared as I was about this ordeal, was a skinny kid with scruffy green hair. He clutched a small pack close to his chest as though it was his only life line. I had envied him at that point. Apart from the clothes I wore I had nothing from home.

The other lad was called Cody and he could not have been more different in his attitude to me and Jiro. To him this was an adventure, he was getting to live his dreams of becoming a Pokemon Trainer. His fast talking enthusiasm was annoying and with is spiky blond hair he reminded me of a Sunkern that had spent far too much time in the sun. Still he was very friendly and he soon had me and Jiro chatting a little more, though I can't remember if I had started speaking just to get some rest from Cody's constant nattering.

**"...and after Misty's Water Gym you can then go strait to Sabrina's Physic Gym! Physic Pokemon are so cool, they can read you mind and talk to you!" **The boy bounced up and down on his seat which I am sure was shaking the mini bus and while we did get a few glances from the four adults they mostly seemed pleased that there was a little bit of enthusiasm building up, after all there is nothing worse for publicity then having your 'specially chosen children' acting as though they were being led to the gallows.

The conversation had quickly lead to which of the three starter Pokemon we were each going to choose. Cody had his heart set on the Charmander and I had to admit that his energetic nature did suit the fire pokemon though it was a stupid choice, even at ten I knew that much. Not only were they hard to handle but they sucked at the first two Gyms that every new trainer had to face and if you could not get a gym badge you were limited as to where you could catch pokemon. A lot of kids picked Bulbasaur specifically because it had an advantage to the first two Gyms and while that was an advantage it did have a problem with being weak to most of the common wild Pokemon like birds. Charmander was fairly easy to train on wild Pokemon and thus could eventually beat Gym's down to pure power but Bulbasaur had to rely on it's type to take down opponents and that could only take you so far. No the Pokemon I had chosen to pick was the thinker's choice.

**"Squirtle**" Karan said matter of factly. **"That's who I plan to pick" **

**"Aww you only picked the Squirt because you know it trumps my Fire type" **complained Cody but he seemed good mannered about it and there certainly seemed to be no way to convince the boy to chance his mind...not that Karan wanted to.

**"You happy with Bulbasaur" **asked Cody as he stuck his face into Jiro's.

**"Um sure"** he said with a shrug **"They have a good typeing and are easy to train from what I heard. I am fine whatever I get" **The mood lightened a little after that conversation, now that there was a plan of sorts and we each knew what we were going to get we could see each other more as friends then rivles. I was so nieve back then.

* * *

Well now there is plenty left unsaid but I hope I have not left too many people confused about what is going on.


	2. Pokedex  Pidgey&Rattata

Right back to work hehe. I have decided that between each chapter I am going to do a 'Pokedex entry' on one or two pokemon that might have been seen in the chapter before or just at random. Why? Well the way I see it Pokemon as we know them are the 'cutesy' versions of themselves. Think of how Disney portrays animals compared to how they really are. Thus these chapters will give people a deeper insight to the pokemon they all know and love or maybe just a chance to see them from my own twisted perspective as well as letting me compare them to Earth animals.

Today's Pokemon are Pidgey and Rattata (because unlike thicky Ash Karan is going to be so used to seeing these common pokemon she wont spend long describing them)

* * *

**Pidgey**

About the size of a chicken and just as plump this brown and cream bird Pokemon can be found almost everywhere in Kanto and Johto and it's cooing call is the ever pleasant song that all is calm. It is not the fastest or the most agile of flyers but it is still quite capable of being used to deliver messages from town to town. Its ability of using Sand attack and being annoying stems from the fact that when Pidgey are found on the ground it is either in search of food or to partake in dust baths. Both activities involve digging up the dry topsoil providing the bird pokemon with plenty of ammo to blind any would be attacker and let it get away. It also explains why they have such large feet.

Pidgey are often found along trainer routes as the pathways provide perfect open areas to scratch in as well as find tasty tidbits that might have been dropped by passer bys the same reasons also apply to their living in towns and villages. Many new trainers learn how to catch and battle pokemon by going up against wild Pidgey and a large proportion of both wild and tame Pokemon hunt and feed on this common bird. Pidgey Pie is a classic recipe for this pokemon as it is a little to small on meat to make a good roast.

* * *

**Rattata**

This little purple pest is the bane of many lives. The size of a rabbit with front teeth about an inch long and a very powerful bite makes this 'mouse' pokemon far scarier then any New York rat. Couple that with the fact that they breed like crazy and will eat anything and everything and you will have the answer to why so many people dislike this pokemon. Many attempts have been made to find the best way to clear out a nest of Rattata from a house but other then keeping a few predator pokemon yourself you are in for a losing battle. Rattata and many bug pokemon have been credited with the reason that humans started to keep pet pokemon around the house.

Its curled tail is used for mainly for balance especially when the pokemon is carrying something large in its mouth and my also hint at a genetic connection to other mouse pokemon such as Marril and maybe even Aipom. Needless to say this pokemon provides the main food for many smaller predator pokemon especially those that live in towns and cities. However they are rarely eaten by humans due to their habit of living in filth and that any meat found on this Pokemon is hardly worth the effort of cooking.

* * *

Well that is all for now, next chapter should be up very soon in which we will get to meet Professor Oak and kids will get their Pokemon.


	3. Chapter 2

Now I am older have to commend the government on how they handled the second chance program. Every three months three children would be chosen to become official trainers and this meant that it happened frequently enough that it was not really big news while also not too frequently so as to look like mass genocide. Smart really if a little cold and calculating. With three months between each group it also meant that it was unlikely the children would meet up in their travels and perhaps form a group large and strong enough to be noticed and force a change in the rules. The lack of publicity also helped as the only time people ever took notice of the 'Second chance children' was at the very start of their journey and again at the end when (if) they reached the Elite Four. Of cause those that did manage to make it that far rarely have anything bad to say about the program that had set them on the path to greatness and even if they did it was quickly glossed over by showing how far they had come compared to your 'average' trainer. The truth of the matter is that because the children have no education to fall back on there is very little they can do other then train Pokemon. They cannot give up after a year or so and decided to go into retail or work in any other field simply because they don't have the experience and qualifications. Some might, if they were lucky, save up enough money to buy themselves some land and become breeders/ranchers where as others are fortunate enough to be taken as an apprenticed to one of the Gym Leaders around the Region.

Had I know then what I know now I would have likely not have been so placid while being lead to the Lab.

I don't really remember much about the night we spent in Pallet town before we picked our first Pokemon, not even how long it had taken us to get there, then again I don't remember much before that day at all. What I do remember is walking out into a bright sunny morning and having to shield my eyes from it. There were a few adults there to take our photo's which both me and Jiro grudgingly smiled for, Cody on the other hand looked like he was about to brake his face in half if he tried to smile any more, it made me miserable to see that he could get so excited about this yet I was scared out of my wits.

The building we were walked up to was surrounded by a huge iron gate; plants were dotted on either side of the gravel path under foot in a likely attempt to soften the look of the stark white building which seemed to gleam in the bright morning light and contrasted greatly with the green trees and blue sky around it. It was a statement to the wild pokemon around the area, 'This is our territory, keep away'.

The adults that had lead us here now waited outside as we were greeted by one of the Lab assistants, a guy with big glasses and short black hair who wore a white coat that did not have a single mark on it. 'Greeted' however might not have been the right word. He had nodded to the adults behind us and then had simply looked down at the three of us, made three marks on his clipboard and had then turned round and walked ahead. Jiro, I and Cody looked between each other before following behind the man not wanting to be left behind. I remember that I had hesitated for a moment. With the door so close to my back I had felt that there was hope of escape…but I knew that to be impossible now. Better to just give up and give in to my fate, who knew maybe I would get lucky.

As I had walked those sterile walls behind the two lads I had felt a brief glimmer of hope and a rush of excitement at the prospects ahead of me. Thoughts crept into my head as a few flashes of the games I had played with long ago when I had wished to become a Pokemon Trainer. Maybe this would not be as bad as I had been lead to believe I had thought with all my childish optimism. The tiny flame of hope had soon died when we were led into a room with more machines and contraptions then I had ever seen in one place. More men and some women, all in white coats with hair either as short as possible or tied back, moved around the lab with clipboards taking notes or taking measurements of some kind from the pokemon that were dotted about the room. A few Pikachu could be seen powering some of the equipment though they were all in closed in glass to keep them from shocking anyone who went passed. As I had looked at the sight around I did not realized that we ourselves were being lead over to an expensive and intimidating set of machines. It was not until one of the assistants spoke that I stared wide eyed and ready to bolt.

"Ok so who is first?" The assistant asked patting the metal as though it was his Pokemon. Even Cody looked nervous at that moment but he was the first to over come his apprehension and walked forward. Jiro edged behind him and I was quite happy to go at the back and peer around the slightly taller lad at what horrors awaited.

Cody was lead to one of the walls where his weight, height and other measurements were taken and recorded as he was asked general questions like his name and which town or village he came from before he was lead to another area which was hidden but I had guessed it had a camera from the flash of light and sounds that had followed. Jiro was lead forward then and I had grabbed his hand for a moment and had given it a slight squeeze with a smile to reassure both him and myself. Soon enough my turn rolled around.

Height, weight, blood sample (without the slightest warning), DNA swab from inside my mouth…By the end of it all I had felt that I had been prodded and poked enough for a Ditto to make a complete copy of me and was more then relived to be aloud to move on. As I walked over to the booth for my ID Photo to be taken Jiro smiled and nodded before walking over to the only man I recognized amongst all of these white coats. Everyone, and I mean everyone, knew Professor Oak. The Father of modem Pokemon research. He was one of the founding members and one of the biggest supporters of the Second Chance program and had even entered his own grandson into it to show how much faith he had in the good work it did for the Region. While it was true that Blue Oak had gone on to be one of the strongest trainers both here in Kanto and in Johto and along with Red was the one of the poster boys for the program it had to be noted that he was one of the first and most publicized of the kids thus the likelihood of him not having had any help was minimal. That is just speculation though.

Professor Oak waited for me to finish before he spoke to all three of us. Sitting on the table between us and him were three shrunken Pokeballs. Three fates waiting to be grasped.

"The Pokemon I give you here today are more then just pets. They are here to protect you and lead you to become more then you are now. You in turn must protect them and help them grow strong. The world is a scary place but you three will be the beacons of light that stem the tide of wild Pokemon who might threaten our way of life. Together you and your Pokemon can protect those who were not given this chance, your family, friends and everyone you have ever known. I have faith that you three will do us all proud"

My heart had swelled at those words and the flicker of my almost forgotten childhood dreams began to burn brightly again. I was still scared but just as I could see the hope on on the two lad's faces standing by my side I to was feeling ready to become a Pokemon Trainer. I smiled and the Old man in front of me and looked down at the Pokeballs and my future. Another assistant came over then carrying three red devices.

"These are you Pokedex's. They will record every pokemon you see and give you access to all the information we have stored here about every Pokemon. Simply open, point and click. They also act as your ID cards and your License so please don't lose them." Picking up the top 'Dex Professor Oak opened in and pressed the top button.

"Cody Hetoran, this one is yours." Cody took the slim device with both hands as though it might brake or run away if he did not keep hold of it.

"Please chose your Pokemon and press the Pokeball's release button against the scanner at the front. That will both register your new partner as belonging to you as well as link the Pokeball to your DNA print." The Professor pointed to the black glass bulb on the top of the Pokedex before gesturing to the three Pokeballs on the table, each one with a symbols of water, fire or grass etched below them on the table. Without hesitation Cody took hold of the Fire Pokeball and pressed it against the scanner. A humming noise could be heard before a small beep.

"Pokemon, Charmander, Registered to Trainer Cody Hetoran. ID 472899621" came the synthesized voice from the Pokedex. Cody looked like he was holding back tears at this point as he clutched both Pokeball and 'Dex to his chest.

Professor Oak smiled before picking up the next 'Dex.

"Jiro Cathrow" Oak handed the 'Dex over "I remember giving your sister her starter a few years back. How's she doing?" Smiled the Professor.

I frowned a little hearing this as did Cody. Jiro had never mentioned anything about his sister.

"I haven't heard anything from her since she left for Cinnabar Island almost a year and a half ago" Jiro's face looked like it was made of stone at that moment but the glare he was giving the Professor would have knocked a Charizard back.

"Such a shame." The Professor seemed unaffected by both the glare and the news. "I had high hopes for her. Will you be choosing the same Pokemon as she did?" he asked handing the Pokedex over

"No, her mistake won't be mine" With that Jiro picked up…the Squirtle Pokeball and pressed it to his Pokedex. I didn't listen to the Pokedex as it confirmed the selection. My eyes went wide as I tried to choke out a protest but I seemed to be frozen to the spot and unable to do anything. I looked up to the Professor but he either did not notice my distress or didn't care. It was like this was all scripted. I knew he had done this many times before but surely he could not be so…so…clinical about this. In the end it was Cody that spoke up.

"That was low. Karan had already said that she wanted the Squirtle" For a moment Jiro seemed unsure as he held the Pokeball in his hand but Professor Oak soon sorted the situation out.

"I am afraid that once the Pokeball is registered it cannot be undone without a complete and expensive wipe of the Pokedex. Here you go Karan, this one is yours" I don't remember taking hold of the Pokedex until it was in my hands. With one last look at Jiro, A look he couldn't hold, I reached over and took the last Pokeball above the grass symbol.

"Pokemon, Bulbasaur, Registered to Trainer Karan Sota. ID 472895162" I sighed as I clipped the Pokeball to my belt.

Understand this. Bulbasaur was not the problem. Sure I would have liked Squirtle but I could work with the grass type and it did have a lot of advantages. The problem was what Jiro had done. In the short time I had known the two boys I had grown closest to Jiro even though I thought of both of them as my friends. Now though…It was like a wall had been erected between Jiro and the rest of us, even Cody had gone quiet and seemed unsure of what to say.

We left the Lab very different people to when we went in and I had felt both confused and betrayed unsure of how I could trust even Cody, what secrets might he be hiding? It was unfortunately just taste of the rivalry that could spring up between Pokemon Trainers.


	4. Chapter 3

Thanks to Arnob for giving me a good kicking to get this chapter up. Enjoy.

* * *

How many times have you looked back in your life and wished things could have gone differently? That you could have acted differently? Even now I wish I could go back and could shake some sense into myself and not utter the harsh words that would set me on my path. I had always been independent and not one for asking for help unless it was my last resort, stubborn might have been a better word for it.

Cody, sweet energetic Cody, he tried so hard to talk to me as we left Pallet town to start our trek to Viridian. Jiro had pushed past the small crowd of people that had gathered to see us off and was who knew how far ahead of us by now but Cody stuck with me. The crowds thankfully did little more then ask us each which pokemon we had each chosen and why. I gave a half hearted reply that it was fate or something just to shut them up and let me past but Cody was happy to talk to the reporters on the merits of Charmander. He would have more then likely talked the day away if he had not seen me making my way down the path that would lead to Viridian. I didn't turn round as I heard his feet hitting the graveled path but that was not about to discourage him.

At first he tried to cheer me up with jokes and then with what he hoped to catch along the way, all the while avoiding mentioning what had happened in the Lab.  
"So then the Jinx said to the Machop…"  
"Cody please. Just…just leave me alone." I didn't want jokes; I didn't want to be happy and cheerful. I wanted to shout and scream. To have a temper tantrum at everything that wasn't fair. Why me? Why couldn't this have happened to some other kid? Cody unfortunately could not see my young temper building and instead tried to comfort me by placing his hand on my slumping shoulder. I would think back later and guess correctly that Cody came from a large family and so was used to giving comfort. I on the other had was an only child and getting hugged by another kid, especially a boy, did not really help to calm me.

"GET OFF! Just get lost. Take your stupid Pokemon and go" That caused a reaction and while I had kept walking Cody had stopped, I had upset him and for that I felt bad even if he had been annoying me. The enthusiastic lad had told everyone he knew that he was going to pick Charmander as soon as he had learned about the three starters long before he had been picked for the program and he had had to defend himself on his choice countless times. As I said before, Charmander is not a bad choice it was just not the best choice.

"Karan you can't just leave me" he called, but this was not a plea, there was something else in his voice, an aggression and finality that made me turn around and stare at him. My arms lay crossed at my chest as I stomped one foot to the ground so hard it hurt.

"And why not?" I remember feeling myself snap at that point. Why did people feel like they had to tell me what I could and could not do? So what if I was only ten. I was old enough to look after myself and if there was one thing all this amounted to was to prove the point that I was capable of standing on my own two feet –forced or not I was going to control my own fate from now on.

A grin spread on the spiky, blonde haired, lad's face as he reached for his Pokeball and enlarged it.  
"Because you are going to have to battle me first. Noven GO!" I remember watching his Pokeball being tossed to the ground before the red energy was released and it sprang back to his hand. A young Charmander shuck its self off before lowering its head and waving its flaming tail side to side behind it. It was that moment that made me realize that this was real, that the Pokeball at my side really did have a Pokemon inside it and this was not just some big game. It might seem silly now after all that had happened to me but up until that point but it had in truth been just TOO big for me to take in. How would you feel if at ten years old you went from school and a life of simple pleasures to suddenly being flung out into the world with a gun and told to survive? Would you really believe the gun was real if you did not use it?

With my hand shaking a little I reached down and clasped my own Pokeball and enlarged it in my hand. It expanded like the demonstration ones in school but this one was heavier and slightly warm. I was reluctant to release the Bulbasaur inside and have one more reason to believe this was really happening. I remember holding onto it like I was holding on to the last chance I had to wake up and find this was all just some big dream.

The Charmander growled and looked back as his Trainer as if trying to get Cody to hurry her up.  
"What are you scared now that you don't have a type advantage?" That had been a little uncalled for but considering how I had been treating him up until this point it was understandable.  
"We are Trainers now so we have to battle when we meet" Looking back now I admire how much Cody held everything together. He had after all been ripped from his own home the same as I had and even though he clearly saw this as an adventure and a dream come true I still wonder and admire how much he took everything in his stride.

"Jiro didn't, he just up and left" I think I said this in an attempt to get Cody to do the same. Instead Cody looked at me with confidence and complete faith in what he was doing.

"I'm not Jiro" His smile shocked me at that point and I looked down at the Pokeball in my hands. Gently I tossed it to the ground and watched it open before almost dropping the ball again when it returned to me using the DNA it had stored from my touch to locate its 'owner'.

The Bulbasaur that had formed in the place where the ball had hit was compact and squat with a wide mouth and four stubbly legs. The bulb on its back was attached by roots and blood vessels or so I had learned from my lessons but neither could be seen.

"You gonna name it or what?" asked Cody who seemed less intent on the battle now and more on just getting to know his Charmander who was currently enjoying his head being stroked. The orange lizard pokemon made cries of affection and excitement as it danced around between each moment of petting. For a 'bad choice' Charmander was surprisingly cute.

I remember I fumbled a bit at the moment. Since the bus ride and finding out I would not have a problem picking Squitle I had decided I would call him Laken but that name hardly suited the grass type Bulbasaur.

"Um I guess Orchid would work" Orchids were my mother's favorite flowers though at the time I did not want to tell Cody about the reason for my choice and thankfully he never asked.

The Bulbasaur turned and looked up at me at that point, its big wide face looking happy. I admit I got lost in the moment, the realization that I was a real Pokemon trainer and this was my partner. It was Cody again who brought me out of my daydream and back to reality.

"Lets battle then. Noven use Scratch" Neither I or my Bulbasaur were able to react in time as the Charmander used its much greater speed to hit Orchid while he was still looking at me causing thin gashes that soon started to prick with blood along his right thigh. The Bulbasaur yelped in pain and turned to face it's attacker but the Charmander had already move out of the way and was waiting to be told to attack again.

"Cody that wasn't fair" I was angry again and shocked that the boy who had been trying to be my friend would attack the Bulbasaur from behind when we were not ready. He didn't even look sorry for what he had just done.

"This is a battle Karan, that means we have to fight. You had better do something quick or it will happen again" Cody looked to be completely enjoying himself and his Charmander looked equally pumped as he clawed the ground with its feet and swung its flaming tail from side to side. I was very thankful at that moment that the Charmander was young enough that its tail would not burn.

"Orchid Tackle" I shouted my command quickly when I realized that though Cody had warned me he was not about to slow his assault. The thrill that leapt through me when the Bulbasaur listened to me and ran towards the Charmander is indescribable even today. I guess it is like suddenly finding out you can control lightning or move things with a simple word. It was power in it's rawest form. The thrill however did not numb the pain when I watched Cody's Charmander rake it's claws once again into the young flesh of my Bulbasaur as it hit the lizard with its body.

Orchid was now on Cody's side while the Charmander Noven was by me. The two circled to the right as we both looked for an opening. Impatient to get this over with and to prove myself I called Orchid to tackle again while Cody countered with another scratch. Waiting till Orchid got close enough Noven struck the Bulbasaur clean across the face which caused the young plant pokemon to close his eyes and almost miss his target. Thankfully the Charmander was too close to get out of the way even with his opponent blind for the moment and he was knocked back and unable to press the advantage he had just made.

Both pokemon broke apart and circled again. Orchid was bleeding on his face and his thigh though neither of his cuts looked too deep. The Charmander on the other hand looked fine apart from his heavy breathing and how his tail sputtered. I was surprised to find that I was enjoying myself, the battle got my heart pumping and I could see Cody looked the same. This time I waited till he made the first move.

"Scratch Noven" The Charmander dove forward with a cry while Orchid stopped and watched him come strait towards him.

"Dodge it Orc" Bulbasuar however are not as nimble as Squitle's and he was not able to dodge completely out of the way of the attack. His movement however threw Noven off balance leaving his back exposed. Quick to see the advantage I called Orchid to tackle him before he could regain his footing. The hit was a good one as Noven's face was sent to have a very personal meeting with the ground.

"I call it" Cody tossed his Pokeball and withdrew his Charmander. "You are better then I thought" he said smiling as he shrunk his ball and attached it back to his belt.

"Um thanks" The fact that the battle was over was strange. I had been really enjoying it and both Pokemon could have gone on a little longer. Sure a win was a win but this felt a little hollow. Orchid on the other hand seemed happy with himself and was bouncing around like a green beach ball.

Cody laughed.

"I was talking to your Bulbasaur. Though you weren't half bad. You gonna come back to town and patch him up before you head off?" I saw then what Cody was doing. He was giving me the option of sticking with him or going on alone. If we had battled any longer I would have had no choice but to go back with him and heal up Orchid but this way…this way he could offer me the choice.

"Thanks Cody" I smiled then. The battle had helped me vent my frustrations and forget about Jiro. He was right as well; Bulbasaur was not bad at all though I knew I had to change my tactics to deal with his slower speed.

"I'm going to keep going but I look forward to seeing you as we go along" There was no doubt in my mind that Cody would not catch up at some point; I looked forward to it to.

"See ya then" He smiled and turned back to town "Just promise me you won't beat the gym before I get there to watch k?"

"Deal" I said with a nod pulling Orchid back into his Pokeball.

And so as quickly as we had met the three of us split up…though certainly not for the last time.


End file.
